Publications

November 2015 (Revised June 2017)
Case

Mission Impossible? Yummy77 Delivers Groceries within the Hour

By: Benjamin Edelman

Yummy77 considers alternative operational models to reduce cost, improve speed, and increase appeal. Can one of these approaches succeed where others have failed? View Details

Keywords: Grocery Delivery; Operations; Platforms; Logistics; Distribution; Food; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; China

15 Oct 2019
News

Understanding Challenges Across the Supply Chain

challenges,” he explains. A former supermarket industry CEO, Alvarez shares his passion for exploring all aspects of the food industry—from farm to port to table—with participants in the Agribusiness... View Details

01 Sep 2013
News

Who Are We?

and complex amino acids.) 683 alumni work in the agriculture industry 1957 HBS professors Ray Goldberg (MBA 1950) and John H. Davis (MBA 1941) coin the term agribusiness 236 alumni work in the food and... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; Julia Hanna; Dan Morrell; social media,; Twitter; SodaStream; consulting; consultant; CEO; farming; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing

29 Jul 2013
News

Opening New Markets for Black South African Winemakers

wine-making. But apartheid had prevented them from owning land or gaining access to capital. Wine had become a $3 billion export industry for South Africa, but just 2 percent of the market was held by black South Africans, who comprise 85... View Details

Keywords: wine; wine making; wine importing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing

01 Jun 2016
News

Ask the Expert: Barreling Ahead

Point Brewing and Spirits) The rise of American craft beer is worthy of a toast: According to the Brewers Association, the industry grew 16 percent from January to June 2015 alone—marking a 122 percent increase since June 2011. The bigger... View Details

01 Oct 2001
News

Q&A: Orin Smith

young consumers. I believe that will be true in our case. How would you describe the Starbucks company culture? It is highly aspirational and very people-oriented. Starbucks gives stock options to all employees (we call them partners); we were also the first in this... View Details

Keywords: Hanna, Julia; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

November 2020 (Revised February 2021)
Case

The Roca Brothers: Innovation in Gastronomy

By: Boris Groysberg, Evan M.S. Hecht and Katherine Connolly Baden

Chef Joan Roca, sommelier Josep Roca and pastry chef Jordi Roca were three brothers based in Girona, Spain whose complementary skills, collective ability, and relentless drive for innovation had brought worldwide fame and awards to their restaurant, El Celler de Can... View Details

Keywords: Restaurants; COVID-19 Pandemic; Food; Crisis Management; Innovation and Invention; Food and Beverage Industry; Spain

March 2008 (Revised July 2011)
Supplement

Cadbury Schweppes: Capturing Confectionery (C)

By: David Collis, Toby Stuart and Troy Smith

In late 2002, global confectionery and beverage maker Cadbury Schweppes needed to decide whether or not to make an acquisition bid for Adams, an underperforming gum company which had been put up for sale by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Examining the decision from a... View Details

Keywords: Food; Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry

02 Nov 2020
News

The First Five Years: Julianne White (MBA 2017)

a timber farm. Many of my family members also worked in industries tied to food and agriculture. This background led me to study food and resource economics as an... View Details

07 Jan 2013
Lessons from the Classroom

Culture Changers: Managing High-Impact Entrepreneurs

Saffronart, and food businesses Whole Foods and the James Beard Foundation. Khaire created the course, she says, because these industries function in fundamentally different... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage

June 1990 (Revised August 1994)
Case

Sorrell Ridge: Slotting Allowances

By: John A. Quelch

Management is attempting to penetrate the California retail grocery market with the company's line of all-fruit preserves. Substantial up-front fees (slotting allowances) have been requested by the chains. Management must decide how to respond. View Details

Keywords: Food; Distribution; Marketing Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; California

2015
Working Paper

The Market That Wasn't: The Non-Emergence of the Online Grocery Category.

By: C. Navis, G. Fisher, Ryan Raffaelli and Mary Ann Glynn

In this paper, we examine the non-emergence of a potential new market category. In the late 1990s, the entrepreneurial firms that attempted to sell groceries online in the US attracted significant resources, made impressive technological advancements, and generated... View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Failure; Food; Online Technology; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

March 2017
Case

Breakfast at the Paramount

By: Ryan W. Buell

The Paramount is a 44-seat diner on Charles Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. A frequent "Best of Boston" award winner, the restaurant is a perennial favorite among locals and tourists, particularly for brunch on the weekends, when lines often stretch... View Details

Keywords: Food; Management Practices and Processes; Service Delivery; Service Industry; Service Industry; Boston

September 1985 (Revised September 1987)
Case

H.J. Heinz Co.: Plastic Bottle Ketchup (A)

By: John A. Quelch

The Heinz Ketchup product manager must decide whether or not to launch a new plastic bottle and, if so, what marketing program and support to place behind it. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Food; Product Launch; Innovation and Invention; Food and Beverage Industry

December 2008 (Revised September 2009)
Case

Cola Wars: Going Global

By: Frank V. Cespedes

This case is meant to be used in conjunction with the extant "Cola Wars" case studies. It outlines the global positions of Pepsi and Coca-Cola as of 2008 in the soft drink market, and then provides an overview of their competitive situations in three markets: Mexico,... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Industry Structures; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Food and Beverage Industry; China; India; Mexico

Other Article

The Market That Wasn't: The Non-emergence of the Online Grocery Category

By: Chad Navis, Greg Fisher, Ryan Raffaelli and Mary Ann Glynn

We examine the non-emergence of a potential new market category. In the late 1990s the entrepreneurial firms that attempted to sell groceries online attracted significant resources, made meaningful technological advancements and generated immense publicity, yet online... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Food; Emerging Markets; Service Industry; Service Industry

Read Now

December 2007
Case

Akshaya Patra: Feeding India's Schoolchildren

By: David M. Upton, Christine Ellis, Sarah Lucas and Amy Yamner

Describes a highly successful effort by an Indian Charity to feed poor schoolchildren at lunchtime. This provides two significant benefits. It improves nutrition for the children, and helps keep them in school since the provided meal is occasionally the only meal they... View Details

Keywords: Food; Service Operations; Education; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Food and Beverage Industry; India

August 1984 (Revised June 1985)
Teaching Note

Federal Trade Commission and the Shared Monopoly Case against the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Manufacturers, Teaching Note

By: Richard S. Tedlow

Keywords: Monopoly; Food and Beverage Industry; United States